Fun and rainy weekend in Destin

This has been a fun and crazy weekend in Destin. With me being off, I am able to get out and about a little more. It started Thursday afternoon. First thing I did was meet Sunshine Cindy for lunch at Friday’s. We saw Sharon and Larry there. They were having lunch too. Sunshine Cindy had to go back to work and I went down to the harbor and made a stop at Crab Island Cantina. Mike and Greg were working. Carlos stopped by to say hello. There were a lot of people on the harbor. The tourist were in town for Christmas.

Kenny and Kathleen

I walked down to Fishheads. Melissa had opened for the day. A couple that just got engaged stopped by. Kenny and Kathleen made a nice couple. I hung around there talking to Melissa for good while. They have big plans for the coming season. Their location is perfect and I know they will do a good business there. By now the sun was going down and it was getting chilly as the wind was blowing. I decided to stop in at The Crust Pizzeria. I have met the owner Charlie down on the docks and he mentioned he might want to advertise on Crab Island Mambo.

While I was at the Crust, I texted Sunshine Cindy and told her to come join me. She did and we enjoyed their happy hour. Domestic beers are 2 for 1 with an already low price of $3. So you can have a beer for just $1.50 each. What a great deal. I had a personal pizza and Sunshine Cindy had a brownie dessert. The pizza was New York style and it was delicious. Of course Sunshine Cindy loved the Brownie! We got to talk to Charlie for a while and he is going to advertise with us so it was a good stop. With a big deck out the back and plans for live music all summer, The Crust Pizzeria will be a fun place. We will be back soon.

Our Chicago friends, Cyndie, Emily and Brian

Friday I only made one stop. I went to Landshark Pizza thinking I would only be there for a little while. Well, as the place filled up and friends came in I ended up being there for hours. Capt. Todd, Tommy, Dougie Love and B came in and Paige, Jason and Becca were all working. I also got to meet Sue’s son Jeremy and his girlfriend Morgan. He was in town for the holiday’s. They were great people. As the evening wore on, the place got packed and I finally decided to call it a night and head back home.

On Saturday, Sunshine Cindy and I met up with some friends of ours from Chicago. Cyndie and Brian were passing through town and got in touch with us. They had their 7 year old daughter Emily with them. We met up at The Boathouse. The weather was terrible. A line of thunderstorms were blowing through the area. Lightning, thunder and monsoon rains kept most people home. There were not too many folks at the Boathouse but it made it nice as we were able to sit and catch up with them. We were able to introduce Cyndie and Brian to the delicacy of boiled peanuts. They had never heard of them before but they loved them. We have another convert. LOL

They loved boiled peanuts!

The Boathouse was getting ready to close and Cyndie and Brian were heading to their hotel as they were driving to Cape Coral Sunday. Sunshine Cindy and I made a stop at the Rotten Apple. A couple of drunk guys from the Boathouse were there. Rose was working. We had not seen Rose in quite a while. They had a good crowd coming and going the entire time we were there. It is a real locals place with the younger crowd stopping in on their way to Nighttown. They have turned the place into a good business. We called it a night and headed home.

On Sunday we got together with our friends at Sago Sports Bar to watch some football. We ended up with Julie, Suzanne, Loujean and Jan. We had a blast watching the Bears/Packers plus some of the other games. Jen took good care of us. She is pregnant and is due in only a couple of weeks. But that didn’t slow her down as she was all over the place.

Yes, that's a Bears logo on her belly!

A table next to us had some die hard Packer and Bears fans sitting together. One of the girls there was also pregnant. Every time the Bears scored, she would lift up her shirt to show a Bears logo painted on her belly as she ran around the bar. She was having a good time for sure.

The picture taker in a picture

We actually stayed to watch most of the night game too. By then it was time to head to the house to end another fun weekend in Destin.

Everyone have a safe New Year’s celebration. See ya on Thursday as we welcome 2014!

Destin Holiday

Well, another Christmas has come and gone. Sunshine Cindy and I hope everyone was able to celebrate the holiday and that you didn’t forget to say a prayer for our troops who are keeping us safe so we can celebrate!

We spent both Christmas Eve and then Christmas Day with Sunshine Cindy’s parents. It was a good time of food, drinks, family and memories. Precious even came along with us. You can’t leave the dog out of the fun. The weather was cool but nice. It beats the freezing weather many others are having around the country.

Merry Christmas from Destin

Monday you could see the town filling up as tourist came into town. It seemed like everyone was out at the shopping centers doing some last minute shopping as the roads were crowded. Then once again on Tuesday it was the same way. It sure looked like a lot of folks waited till the last minute to get their gifts.

Friday’s in Destin has been known over the years as the place for people to go who don’t have family or anywhere else to go for holidays. They open for the wayward souls who are alone on holidays. On Christmas Eve there was a good size crowd there judging by how full the parking lot was. Even at 11 pm when we were heading home there were still folks there. Then on Christmas Day when we passed the place about 1 pm in the afternoon another good sized crowd was there. But the biggest crowd was noticed that evening about 8 pm as the parking lot was full. They take volunteers to work so no one who doesn’t want to work has to. It is nice people have a place to go if they have no one here.

We don’t have any big plans for the weekend. If you are off enjoy your time. I know I will. See ya Monday!

Merry Christmas from Destin

Only a couple more days till the big guy in the red suite makes his yearly run. But there were still parties to attend before that happens. Our weekend started out on Friday night with a trip to Landshark Pizza. Sunshine Cindy and I both had long days at work and we were looking forward to relaxing a little. A decent crowd was there. Paige and Jason were working. B and Ken were at the bar talking to some folks too.

Merry Christmas from Crab Island Mambo

Not too long after we got there a guy came in and sat next to Ken. We had not seen him before. He looked either drunk or stoned but he was not bugging anyone. Ken did start to talk to him. His name was Jason and he recently moved here from Michigan. They were talking about the Ghost Pepper sauce and Jason bragged about how he could eat anything because he was from Michigan. I am not sure what that has to do with anything but oh well.

Jason tried a sauce a few steps down from the Ghost sauce. Then he wanted to try the Ghost. They put some in a small plastic shot glass. He took a small taste. With the Ghost sauce it takes a few second for it to hit. Macho man had not had it hit yet. So he downed the entire shot full. Within five seconds he was in pain. He was sweating, gasping for air, drinking…anything to numb the burn. I have had a fingertip taste before and it is like putting molten lava in your mouth. Jason recovered but there was no more bragging.

Kenny with the "You're the reason the beer is always gone" tee shirt we got for him

When Sunshine Cindy and I left, we made a stop at The American Legion. Henri was behind the bar. John was there. All the regulars were there singing Karaoke. It was nice seeing Henri and John and it was a perfect end to our evening.

Saturday was our big Christmas and Welcome to Winter Party at KC’s Tapworks bar in Ft. Walton Beach. We had a blast. We had about 60 people come and go. Sunshine Cindy decorated the tables with candy and snacks. We gave away gifts that included autographed CD’s by Southern Drawl Band and Jim Morris. Jan Patton and Kenny played and kept everyone entertained. Mike and Bev the owners of KC’s were there the entire time. Friends from Panama City, Sincity Lisa and Deron came. It was a lot of fun as we “Embraced the Chaos!” for hours. To top it off, Matt and Mindy were playing on the outside stage when we finished. We hung around for a while to listen to them too!

We had a fun crowd at KC's Tapworks for our Mambo party

The weather could not have been more perfect. It was in the 70’s. I had a tank top and shorts on. We kept the doors open to keep air moving through the bar. A brief shower hit but it only lasted for a minute or so. Sunshine Cindy and I want to thank Mike, Bev and KC for allowing us to put on this fun party. Whenever you are in Ft. Walton Beach, get to the only beach in the city, KC’s Sandbar & Grill. They are just down from the theater on Hwy. 98.

Some bikers rode up and joined us for a while

Sunday, Sunshine Cindy and I finished up the last of the Xmas shopping. Boy was that fun! LOL  The weather continued to be nice and warm. After running around town we headed to Landshark to watch some football. The place was packed with Packer fans as that game was just starting. We found a couple of spots at the bar and settled in. Sue, Brian and Renee were working then Jason and Stephanie were coming in for the evening. Sue’s son Chris was next to me. He is in the service and home for the holidays.

Kenny and Jan playing for the party

Tommy,  B and Capt. Todd came in for a while. Tommy was in mourning over the Saints loss. There were some Wisconsin snowbirds sitting next to Sunshine Cindy. It was their first time at Landshark and they were having a ball with all the other Packer Backers. I was rooting for the Packers as they were playing the Steelers. I always root for whoever is playing against the Steelers. LOL  But my luck continued as the Packers lost. It was close and exciting but it was not to be.

It was a fun and festive atmosphere at Landshark.  After the game, two ladies came and sat next to Sunshine Cindy as the snowbirds left. They had Packer jerseys on and had been there the entire time. Turns out they were sisters. One moved here last winter and the other was down visiting. It was fun chatting with them for a while. Finally it was time to get home and watch some of the Sunday night game. We only made it to halftime! We were wore out from the weekend.

Sunshine Cindy and I want to wish all of our friends a safe and joyous holiday season. Merry Christmas to all. See you on Thursday!!!

Ready to party…

Sunshine Cindy and I have been spending most of this week getting ready for the holidays and also preparing for our “Crab Island Mambo Christmas and Welcome to Winter” party. The party will be held at KC’s Tapworks bar on Saturday from 3-7 pm. Jan Patton will be playing music for us. Everyone is invited to “Embrace the Chaos!” at Tapworks this Saturday.

Tapworks

We did get out one time this week. Tuesday evening we went to Sunshine Cindy’s parents house to celebrate her Dad’s birthday. It was a nice evening with them as we had dinner and drinks while we helped Jim enjoy his birthday.

The full moon this week was awesome. Our weather has been nice. It was crystal clear the last couple of nights which made the moon seem that much brighter. When you see the reflection of the moon light coming off the gulf or the bay, it is reason number 7890 why I love living here!

Sorry to see the Lobster close

I had mentioned in the last blog how Poppy’s Crazy Lobster closed and there was talk about them relocating. The word I hear is they are going to open a place in the shopping center that used to house the Lighthouse Restaurant at the corner of Hwy. 98 and Gulf Shores Drive. Not only will the Crazy Lobster open there but Poppy’s is planning to open another Roberto’s Pizza restaurant in that plaza too. They already have one at the Village of Baytowne Wharf in Sandestin.

I don’t know when they plan to open but I would assume it will be before spring break. I already talked about The Red Bar opening a second location there and a coffee shop that has opened in that same plaza. I wonder what else is going in there? I will have to nose around and see what I hear.

Fun at the Boathouse

With the Crazy Lobster leaving the harbor, that leaves a prime location vacant. The rent is high there but that is a fantastic building right on the water. I hope they are able to get some kind of fun place in there. I enjoyed the Lobster and the view. Plus the small outside bar was always a fun place.

I hope everyone comes out to Tapworks this Saturday to party with us. I will have a full report on the good times on Monday. See ya then!

Destin Harbor Weekend

It was a busy weekend in Destin. It started Friday night with a Parrothead meeting at Harry T’s. This meeting was the election for new Board members. Sunshine Cindy and I were the election committee chairpersons. We handed out ballots and counted them after the voting was completed. Julie was there to help us and the entire process went smoothly. As the meeting wound down, we stopped at Crazy Lobster. We were the only folks at the bar. There were a few people at a couple of tables but it was dead in there. We talked to James the manager, ate a little and had a few beers. I got my Abita fix too.

Harry T's

Saturday evening was the day of my company Christmas Party. It was supposed to rain all day Saturday but we ended up only having a few showers during the day. We parked in the parking garage and started the arduous trip to the ballroom. It seems like there is no easy or direct way to get there. It took us trips on three elevators to go four floors. Ugh! Once we got there the party was nice. This was one of the better Christmas Parties we have had in a while. Plus it started earlier so it ended earlier too.

When it wound down a big group of us headed to Harry T’s. I guess we ended up having 25 or so people go up there to listen to Flash Flood. The weather was still warm as it was almost 70 degrees. The place was packed. A rooming Santa Pub Crawl came in and there was a festive atmosphere. Binky the drummer was celebrating his birthday. People were bringing him shots left and right. He was going to be feeling that later. Sunshine Cindy and I finally called it a night and headed for home.

Harry T's

Before we left we heard some news that Poppy’s Crazy Lobster was going to close down this weekend. With Tiffany working there we were concerned. Turns out the news was true. Sunday was their last day to be open. The workers were told they are looking to relocate. I am not sure where that might be or how long it will take. The employees were also told they are trying to find places at the other Poppy’s locations around town for them to go to. We shall see if they do that. I guess I will need to find someplace else to get my Abita fix.

Sunday turned cold as we had a front come through. We were heading to the harbor in the afternoon for a show by Southern Drawl Band at Crab Island Cantina. There was also the lighted boat parade on the harbor followed by a fireworks display. It was a full evening of fun down on the harbor. Despite temps in the low 40’s the harbor was packed. The Cantina had them packed in for the Southern Drawl Band show. The guys put on a great show as always. We ended up with over 20 of our friends show up for the show. Check out the Southern Drawl Band website and order some of their CD’s. They are really great! http://www.southerndrawlband.com/

The highlight of the night was a drunk couple that keep everyone, including the band, entertained. They were dancing with each other and anyone else that walked by including me. Finally as the evening wore down the lady decided to sit on the floor in front of the band. She had a plumbers crack showing as she sat there that had everyone cracking up….so to speak! LOL We don’t know who these folks were but they were feeling no pain by the time the show ended.

Also on Sunday I published the Crab Island Mambo Mullet Wrapper for December. You can read it here: http://www.crabislandmambo.com/Mullet-Wrapper-December-2013.html

Only a week and half to Christmas! Have a great week. See ya Thursday!!!

December in Destin

The weather continued to be the big story in Destin. While the rest of the country froze, Florida was balmy. For us here in Destin that came to an end Tuesday morning. As I left for work at 6 am it was 70 degrees out. The sun was just starting to brighten up the East sky. I head west to get to work. I stopped for gas. No breeze and warm.

As seen on many Facebook pages the last few days! LOL

After getting gas I got back on Hwy. 98 and crossed the Destin bridge onto the island. I was driving into a dark cloud but didn’t think anything about it until it started to rain. The wind started to howl. I had my window down and I could feel it getting colder. I checked the outside temp and it was down to 61. By the time I got to work 5 minutes later it was down to 56 and the wind chill must have been ten degrees lower than that. Wow, what a change!

It has been a quiet week for Sunshine Cindy and I. We have holiday parties every night starting tonight so we were low key up to this point. It did give me time to work on the upcoming Crab Island Mambo Mullet Wrapper. I am on track to publish this Sunday.

Boat Drink Time 

I have noticed the Krispy Kreme donut shop is temporarily closed. They are doing a complete remodeling of the building. It is needed as that building has been there a long time. I hope they can do something about the parking. They have a small lot and traffic backs up onto 98 many mornings.

It was also just announced Staff’s Restaurant in Fort Walton Beach is shutting down after December 21st. This is sad as Staff’s has been in business for over 100 years. It is one of the local historic locations having been in t

As I mentioned we have several parties to attend this weekend. But Sunday down on the harbor is the holiday lighted boat parade. In conjunction with the boat parade, Crab Island Cantina is bringing back to Destin The Southern Drawl Band. They will be playing at the Cantina Sunday from 5-9 pm. There will also be a fireworks display in addition to the boat parade and the music. Come to the harbor to hear the hottest up and coming band in the country and enjoy the holiday fun.

Enjoy your weekend. A full report on our activities on Monday. See ya then!

Destin weekend update

We had another fantastic weekend in Destin. It started out on Thursday night as I made a stop at Landshark Pizza. Landshark has truly become our own “Cheers” type of place. Owners Brian and Sue are like Sam and Diane from the TV show. B is Cliff, Kerby is Norm…you get the idea. It is always fun there. Thursday night Paige and Sue were working. A decent crowd was there including three guys who live almost around the corner but had never stopped in before. They will be back.

  

Landshark Pizza

Friday the weather was absolutely perfect. I ran some errands during the day with the top down on Badass. When I got home I even washed her. I decided to head back out but now I put on a tank top and kept the top down. It was in the upper 70’s and I was loving it.

I went to the harbor. I made a stop at The Boathouse. I was like the only one there as they were just opening. I then headed down the harbor to the Cantina. I spoke to Tiffany at The Crazy Lobster as she was working. At the Cantina Greg was working. They had a big party coming in that night and would be closed to the public. Over 200 people were expected. That’s a good night for them in the off season. My next stop was the Rotten Apple. It’s been a while since I was there. They have done some remodeling.

                                                          Inside at Malibu Jacks

Off again to the Malibu Jacks. I parked Badass next to another Mustang. There was a new guy working there. His Dad, who owned the other Mustang, was sitting there and they were admiring my car. Turns out this was the son and grandson of Leon. We know Leon from the American Legion. I didn’t know it but Leon raced in the first race at Talladega back in the 60’s. Pretty cool information. The guy working there is trying to get a BBQ catering business off the ground. More power to him. I hope he can make it.

While there I got a message from Alan and Jackie. They were at Landshark. So over there I went again. Renee was working. I ordered a pizza to take home. Jackie showed me a picture of what Alan had ate before I got there. It was peanut butter and jelly wings. He said they were really good. You would not think so but he said he will do them again. Now I know what I will have the next time I am there! LOL  While we were there, Kenny showed up and joined us. He thought there was a Parrothead meeting but it was Saturday night. I hung around and watched Kenny eat a whole Calzone all by himself. Those things are huge.

Peanut butter and Jelly wings

Saturday night was the ECPHC volunteer party at Harry T’s. Sunshine Cindy and I got there about 4:30. Jeff and the Camaro’s were playing music and everyone had a good time. Congratulations to Betty for being named volunteer of the year for the club. It was a good choice. As the party ended a group of us headed to The Boathouse.

We ended up with Judie, Kelly, Buz, Capt. John, Julie, Wayne, Mark, Stephanie and Mary all show up. We were watching some football and having a good time. Gigi gave us some jello shots then she brought over two pitchers of a drink concoction with straws in it. She said it was time for a contest to see which team could finish their pitcher first.  Wayne, Mark and myself won. Of course everyone had a brain freeze but it was fun.

The gang at The Boathouse

Sunday’s plans got all messed up. Sunshine Cindy and I were going to be judges at the Cantina for a comedy show that started at 6 pm. We get a call in the morning that Sunshine Cindy’s dad was taken to the hospital. Turns out all was okay but we ended up spending hours at the hospital. I had to cancel our gig at the Cantina. We did make a stop at Miller’s Ale House on the way home for some food as it had been a long day. While there Sunshine Cindy saw a former worker at her company. Then Jager delivered our food. He is now working there. It was great seeing him. He is a good person. We also saw and talked to Peter from Fud’s. He finally took a day off. And last but not least, Frank, who is Millers Bar Manager, stopped to talk to us about Crab Island Mambo. Jager told him they need to advertise with us. I hope they will. He sounded positive.

It was fun there but finally it was time to get back home and relax before we start the new week. Enjoy your week. See ya Thursday!

Warm weather in Destin

While 2/3rds of the country is freezing, we are having nice and balmy weather here in Destin. When I first moved to Destin, I heard a weatherman sum up our winter weather by saying we have either cold and dry or warm and wet weather in the winter. That has been so true with the current pattern being warm and wet.

This morning driving into work it was raining and 70 degrees. I will take 70 at six o’clock in the morning any day. And I had the top down on the way home! The pattern is supposed to stay this way at least into next week. We have had the heat off in the house for days now. It saves on the electricity bill.

Summer Time scene

Sunshine Cindy and I made a quick trip on Tuesday to the liquor store and to Subway to get Sunshine Cindy a sub sandwich. As I come out of the liquor store a sheriff’s car is parked next to Badass with two officers inside. As I put my stuff in the trunk a second car pulls in and parks on the other side of Badass. Okay, what did I do? LOL Actually they went into Subway too. Unfortunately for them, before they could order they got a call and had to leave. That is a tough job those folks do and I appreciate them working to keep us safe.

Jet Man at Crab Island

Wednesday afternoon Sunshine Cindy made a trip to Crab Island Cantina for another wedding planning session. I think we are starting to get everything in order. Needless to say I am leaving the planning up to her. It is going to be a great day. Hard to believe it is only about 5 months away!

With the holiday season upon us, there are several holiday activities taking place in Destin. The 14th and 15th are the big days. The Destin Christmas parade is held on Saturday December 14th. The parade starts at 10 am and goes down Hwy. 98 from the Old Time Pottery Shopping Center to the Conference Center. Sunday the 15th is also a big day with the Harbor Boat Parade. Many boats get decorated with lights and they have a boat parade in the harbor.

Also that Sunday at Crab Island Cantina one of the hottest up and coming bands in the country, The Southern Drawl Band, will be playing from 5-9 pm with no cover charge. See them now before they start to play the big venues and tickets prices will be out of reach. There will also be a fireworks display over the harbor to close out the evening. It will be a fun day and evening on the harbor!

Saturday December 21st, Crab Island Mambo will have a “Christmas and Welcome to Winter Party” at KC’s Tapworks bar in Ft. Walton Beach. Jan Patton will be playing from 3-7 pm. Everyone is welcome to “Embrace the Chaos!” with Crab Island Mambo (http://www.crabislandmambo.com/) and KC’s! Get out and enjoy the Emerald Coast this holiday season.

Have a great weekend. See ya Monday!

Thanksgiving weekend in Destin

We had a relaxing Thanksgiving holiday weekend in Destin. We spent Thanksgiving day at Sunshine Cindy parents’ house having all the usual fixings…turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing….and it was all good. The weather was nice as it started to warm back up.

Friday Sunshine Cindy had to go into work. I got a few things done around the house and then ran some errands. It was so nice out I decided to make a stop down on the harbor to see what was going on. My first stop was the Boathouse. Courtney was working the outside bar. A lot of folks were inside as it was still chilly outside even with plastic up to block the wind. Gigi stopped by and said hello as she was running around keeping things in order. I talked to some locals and a few tourist as everyone was in good spirits.

Courtney and Sunshine Cindy

I walked down the harbor towards the village. Steve was at his Hawaiian Ice booth. He thought he would open up and see if he could get any business but it was slow. I hope to have Steve selling our Crab Island Mambo shirts again next year. As I walked into the village there were a lot of people with kids walking around. Turns out Santa was there so that brought out the kids. I saw Tiffany working at Crazy Lobster and I stopped to chat with her for minute. As I was doing that I heard someone holler my name. It was Carlos and he was on the second floor by his office. He asked me where I was going and I told him, “your bar.” That was the right answer.

I did stop at Crab Island Cantina. Greg was working. They had a decent crowd there too. People were enjoying the weather and the holiday. I left and stopped back at Crazy Lobster. I talked to some folks at the outside bar there too. It was a festive atmosphere in the village. Walking back to my car I ran into Jack. I have not seen Jack in quite some time. He looked good and was doing what I did, enjoying the weather on the harbor.

 Past fun at Crab Island Cantina

That night Sunshine Cindy and I went to Sago Sports Bar. We wanted to hang out for a while. I had them put on the Blackhawks/Stars hockey game. That turned out to be a good call as this was a great game. We had some food and drinks as we watched the game on the big 100 inch TV.

Saturday was Tiffany’s birthday. Sunshine Cindy and I took her to Panama City Beach. She wanted to go there so we obliged. Tiff turned 25 and she was having a blast. We started at Margaritaville for some food and cocktails. We walked across Front Beach Road to get up close and personal with the beach. As we got back into Pier Park we made a stop at The Back Porch. They had a happy hour special. As we sat down at the bar Tiff knew the bar-back from Destin. A few minutes later a server from Margaritaville came in. He didn’t wait on us but with long hair and a do-rag he was hard not to recognize. We ended up talking to Charles for almost an hour. He was an interesting person.

Tiffany and Sunshine Cindy at Margaritaville

Our next stop was the Hofbrau House German restaurant. The Auburn/Alabama game was on the TV’s and a group of Auburn fans were there watching the game. They were loud and rabid. A husband and wife team was setting up to sing. Turns out the husband was also an Auburn fan as was many of the staff. It was a surreal experience there. German music with polka’s and waltzes, screaming football fans, families with kids and then Tiffany getting singled out for her birthday. It included a free shot but first she had to be paddled by some of the male staff. She took it like a champ. LOL

Fun at the Hofbrau House in Panama City Beach

Of course the game had a miracle ending. The Auburn fans thought Tiff was a good luck charm so they bought her a shot. The band had to play the Chicken Dance song so people were up and dancing to that song. All in all it was a fun time that no one could have predicted. From there we made a stop at Tootsies for some country music. We ran into the same Auburn fans there. By now they were feeling no pain and were heading home. I drove us back to Destin and we made a final stop at Friday’s for a nightcap. By then it was time to call it a night.

Sunday was more laid back as we closed out the holiday weekend. We went to Tiff’s as her grandparents came with cake and ice cream for her birthday. We had a nice visit. From there Sunshine Cindy and I went to Landshark Pizza. Sunshine Cindy had ordered some cupcakes from Stephanie for a co-workers birthday. We went to pick them up and have a few beers.

Dancing at the Hofbrau House

The place was packed with people watching the end of the early NFL games. The Browns lost again so I didn’t miss anything not seeing that game. Sunshine Cindy got a Brat sandwich. She loves them with their homemade sauerkraut. Jason was also working with Stephanie tonight. Turns out it was also Stephanie’s birthday. Jason led the restaurant in singing happy birthday to her! LOL  I also didn’t know it but Jason is Jewish. He is celebrating Hanukkah. He did the ceremony of lighting candles on his Menorah. It was awesome seeing it.

We enjoyed our time at Landshark but it was time to get home and start to get ready for the upcoming work week. Looks like our weather will be seasonal as we get closer to winter. Have a great week. See ya Thursday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It is a frigid start to Thanksgiving this morning in Destin. It is currently 34 degrees but at least we have a bright sun shining. Sunshine Cindy and I want to wish everyone a safe and fun day. I hope you get to spend it with family and friends.

We have not got out and about this week as there was holiday prep work to do at home. The food is ready and the appetites are strong. It won’t be over the river and through the woods but rather over the Mid-Bay bridge and through the Eglin reservation to grandma’s house. LOL

I have heard of some more places opening and closing in the area. Over in Niceville where Helen Back recently opened in the K-Mart shopping center, Ed’s has closed their doors. Ed’s was the old Perry’s in the Food World shopping center. I heard they had their rent raised so much it was not worth staying open.

Happy Thanksgiving from Sunshine Cindy

Also in Niceville, Ernie’s has moved from Northpoint Yacht Club to the old Giuseppe’s building. Giuseppe’s has been empty for a few years so I hope Ernie’s can make it a success again. Hurricane Ivan destroyed the original Giuseppe’s and when they rebuilt it did not have the same charm as before. I wish the Ernie’s team well. We liked them at Northpoint.

With Ernie’s moving from Northpoint, that left their space open. Big City has moved in to take it over. They recently had a grand opening. I didn’t hear many good things. Mostly about how they ignored people. Hopefully that was just a start up problem. Sunshine Cindy and I will need to get over there to check it out as well as Ernie’s.

A Crab Island picture to warm up this cold day

Back in Destin I have heard the folks that run the Red Bar in Grayton Beach are opening a place in Shoreline Village shopping center at the entrance to Holiday Isle. They are remodeling the two story building that has housed several different places but none lasted very long. If this new place is anything like the Red Bar, it will be a great addition to the Destin bar/restaurant scene. The Red Bar is a funky place that is an institution in Grayton Beach.

"Embrace the Chaos!"

Don’t forget you can “Embrace the Chaos!” with your Crab Island Mambo tees, tanks and long sleeve shirts all year long. Order yours here: http://www.crabislandmambo.com/Crab-Island-Mambo-Merchandise.html

Have a great turkey day!!!! See ya Monday!

Destin Life

We had another fun weekend on the Emerald Coast. It started Thursday night. Sunshine Cindy stayed in but I went to Landshark Pizza for a while. Paige and Jason were working and there was a pretty good size crowd there. Julie and her husband came in with some friends to watch the Thursday night football game. Kerby also stopped in. I have not seen Kerby in a while. He is busy doing construction. I stayed long enough for some wings and to catch the start of the game. Then it was back home for the night.

Carlos and Sunshine Cindy at Crab Island Cantina

I was off Friday. I ran some errands during the day as well as working on the Crab Island Mambo web site. When Sunshine Cindy got home from work we headed to the harbor to relax a little at Crab Island Cantina. The weather was nice. I still had shorts on and there was no breeze. The harbor was dead quiet. We sat at the bar. Judy was there keeping an eye on the staff. One of their girls was with her as she was not working due to the slow night.

Julie joined us and we talked to a military guy who was also sitting at the bar. He was in town for the week teaching at Hurlburt Field. He was an interesting fellow. We thank him for his service to our country! Carlos also came out and joined us. He was cracking jokes and having a good time. Carlos is usually so busy we don’t get to see that side of him too often. Tiffany also joined us when she got off from working at the Crazy Lobster. we had fun having a few drinks and some food. Carlos took a golf cart full of folks for a ride. We thought they were going to AJ’s but about 10 minutes after they left they came by again hooting and hollering. I wonder what they were drinking! LOL

Julie with Jackie and Alan

We left the Cantina as they were winding down and called it a night. Saturday was still a nice day. I went for a bike ride to the beach. It felt good getting the fresh salt air. When I got back home I worked some more on the Crab Island Mambo web site and I did some writing for December’s Mullet Wrapper. Saturday afternoon we put the word out we were going to KC’s Tapworks. The Crab Island Mambo Christmas and Welcome to Winter Party will be held there on December 21st and I wanted to see how the layout will lend itself to music.

Julie, Jan, Mike and Wayne at Tapworks

About 12 friends showed up to party with us. College football games were on the TV’s and popcorn was being popped! I tried some of their craft beers. They have 50 of them so I had a big selection to choose from! Mike and Bev, the owners, also partied with us. As the evening went on the place filled up. By the time we left around 10 pm it was packed in there. That is great for Mike and Bev as they have worked their fanny’s off to get their complex to where it is today. What started out as a snow cone stand is now a sand bar, sports bar and Tapworks. A micro-brewery is also in the works. The American Spirit is alive and well in Ft. Walton Beach.

Football Sunday saw Sunshine Cindy and I heading to Sago Sports Bar to watch the Browns/Steelers game. I should have saved myself the aggravation. The Browns sucked. Julie sat through the game with us but she was also watching her Rams play and beat the Bears. At least someone beside the Steelers fans that were all around me was happy!

Beer tower at Sago Sports Bar

The place was full. Tommy came in and he was amazed at all the people there. Each TV had a different game on and there were fans from each team at each TV. As the Browns debacle was ending we get a message from Alan and Jackie saying they were coming by. Then Sunshine Cindy gets a message from Stephanie that she and Mark were also coming to join us. Julie left but the second shift of friends showed up! LOL We had a great time talking to them while the second half games were going on. All in all it was a fun day despite the Browns!

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“Embrace the Chaos!” all year long!!!

"Embrace the Chaos!" tee shirt

It’s a short work week. Enjoy it and get ready for turkey day. See ya Thursday!

Destin Wedding plans

Sunshine Cindy and I continue to make plans for our upcoming wedding. We are getting hitched in May down on the harbor here in Destin. Tuesday afternoon we met with a wedding planner. We need to have someone to help us pull this all together and make sure everything is a go for the big day. We met with Christine from RSVP events in Destin. She knows her business and will be a big help to us.

Jerry Diaz and Bobby Summers

We are getting all the outside vendors to supply what we need, we have booked Jerry Diaz and Hanna’s Reef to play music for us, Crab Island Cantina will host the wedding and reception…everything is falling into place. Being a guy I think this is all so simple and will handle itself. But we are looking at 200 people there, details to be finalized, rooms to be booked….even what color tablecloths we will use! LOL Just give me a beer and tell me where to go and how much money is needed!

When we left RSVP we stopped in at Island Wings for a beer and a bite to eat. As we found a seat at the bar we saw Alan and Jackie. We sat next to them. We seem to always run into those two. I had some craft beers and chili to eat. It was just the right spice and very good. Sunshine Cindy had a tuna sandwich. She also enjoyed her food. It was a nice visit with Alan and Jackie. Island Wings was not overly crowded so the noise level was not too bad like the first time we stopped in there.

Island Wings

Trying to get home from work on Wednesday was a chore. First the road in front of my office was backed up. I tried to go one direction but it was at a standstill. After only going a few hundred feet in about 10 minutes I turned around sat in more traffic but at least it was moving. I took some back roads and got back to Hwy. 98 thinking I was home free. Nope. I got onto the Island I could see flashing lights ahead. I came to another dead stop. Turns out a car was upside down in a sand dune.

There was emergency vehicles everywhere. It didn’t look too good. I heard this morning two people were in the car and taken to the hospital. I hope they are okay. After getting past that I seemed to get behind every slow driving snowbird in town. It took almost an hour to get home. Oh well, that does not happen too often.

No Tipsy Turtle on the harbor

Down on the harbor, the land that was Aloha Rentals is now roped off. This is the land that Johnny O’Quigley bought. He is waiting for a development order from the city of Destin to start work on his latest Ale House. What is really sad is the Tipsy Turtle tiki hut is gone. I am not sure where it went but there is a big empty space where it used to sit. There were a lot of great memories from that spot going back to when Baby J’s sat at the dock. Hopefully the new place will have some of that same charm.

Where Tipsy Turtle and Baby J's used to sit

Over in Shoreline Village shopping center a new coffee shop has opened. We seem to be getting coffee shops left and right in this town now. That entire shopping center is undergoing a massive renovation. I will be interested to see what ends up there. It is in a good location right at the entrance to Holiday Isle.

Not much planned for this weekend but we will find something to keep us occupied. Enjoy your weekend. See ya Monday!

Destin Blog

Sunshine Cindy and I got out and about a little this weekend. It started on Thursday night. We went to Sago Sports bar. Tiffany joined us. We had some dinner and watched some football. Tommy and his crew were all there working. There was a decent crowd having fun. Sago is in the Palms condo complex. We enjoy going there.

Malibu Jack's

Friday we decided to stay close to home and be low key. We went to Hogs Breath for a while. The outside bar was full but we found a couple of stools to sit at. There are always some interesting folks at Hogs and this visit was no different. We talked to some of the other locals there while a table of folks were downing shots and beer like it was going out of style. They were having a good time for sure.

We left Hogs and walked over to Malibu Jacks. We wanted to see if anything was going on there. There was a lady and a guy at the bar. James the owner was there too. It looked like he was training a new girl. Erica waited on us. She recently moved to Destin from Michigan. James was trying out some new finger foods he might want to put on the menu. James also showed me all the work they have done in the back. They have a tiki bar and can actually have a stage. It might have potential for a Crab Island Mambo party. With beers only $2, you can’t beat the price.

Stephanie is a little camera shy...lol

From there Sunshine Cindy and I made one more stop at Friday’s. This Friday’s used to always have the same people working. Now they have all new people. That is neither good or bad but you do lose that feel of familiarity you get with a regular staff.

Saturday was spent working on the Crab Island Mambo Mullet Wrapper. This was my special Key West edition. I had almost three times the number of pictures as I usually do so it took a lot of time to put together. You can read it here: http://www.crabislandmambo.com/Mullet-Wrapper-November-2013.html

Key West Mallory Square

I was tired from being in front of the computer all day so in the evening we made a stop at Landshark Pizza. Walking in we felt like walking into Cheers. The place was crowded and I think we knew 75% of the folks. It takes 5 minutes just saying hello to everyone. We ended up getting caught up in the Auburn/Georgia football game. It had one of the most exciting finishes I had seen in a long time. Auburn won but it took a lot of luck.

Stephanie was working and told us about a new type of cupcake she has. Stephanie has a side business making and selling cupcakes. She has a new creation where she has a cookie in the middle of the cupcake. She calls it a “Cu-pookie.” LOL Sunshine Cindy wanted to try it so she ordered a dozen that we would pick up on Sunday.

Watching the Browns with Tom

Sunday morning we got a few things done around the house. We decided to go to Kenny D’s to see the Browns game. Tom and Sandy are always there and this was no exception. Tom’s parents joined them again. We walked in and the first quarter of the game was ending and the Browns were winning 13-0. I thought great, it might be a good day. Nope, within a couple of minutes they were losing. They had TWO punts blocked. A fumble returned for a TD. Before I could even finish a beer it as 31-13 and they were looking like a high school team. Oh well, it was fun catching up with Tom and Sandy.

While at Kenny D’s I had a lady tap me on the shoulder and ask if I was Destin Steve. It was Evelyn from Macon, Ga. She said she reads each blog. She saw Badass in the parking lot and just knew it us there. That was really cool. Thanks for reading!

The top down on Badass in the middle of November

The weather was nice and warm for the middle of November. We put the top down on Badass and headed to Landshark to pick up our Cu-pookie’s. We got a table. Julie, Alan and Jackie all stopped in and joined us. Stephanie had several orders to deliver. The Cu-pookie’s were better than advertised. They were fantastic. We ended up staying for a few hours watching some of the different games. It was a fun afternoon there after the pain of the Browns game.

Have a great week. See ya Thursday!

Destin is freezing…

I know when I talk about how cold it is in Destin, people up north just laugh. But it did get cold this week in Destin. Real cold. Like in the 30’s at night cold. That might not sound like much to people in Minnesota but it is like the Frozen Tundra to us on the beach. We were lucky it did not last long but I have a feeling this is going to be a colder than normal winter down here. I guess it is time to move farther south! LOL

Crab Island picture to warm us up

Most of this week has been spent on Crab Island Mambo stuff. Because of that we didn’t get out and about much. But I do have a few observations about more comings and goings in Destin. Gilligan’s has closed for the winter. They won’t reopen till sometime in February. Graffiti’s is closed for a few weeks as I guess the owners take a vacation during the slow time.

The new Hampton Inn is getting closer to being open. It is hard to miss as it is a pink building. It really stands out across the street from The Track. Thai Delights restaurant will be opening soon in the Target shopping center. This is the place that used to be on Mountain Drive next to the Rotten Apple. A minor fire at Jim n Nick’s BBQ restaurant in Destin has temporarily closed the place. It should reopen tomorrow.

More Crab Island

There are times around here buildings are up and occupied in no time while other times it seems to take forever to get something done. The latter is taking place on the Island. With big fanfare early this year there was a big announcement about some entertainment complex taking over the old Island Golf spot. They were going to remodel the putt-putt course, add a bigger building, put in a zip line….etc. Well, it now almost the end of the year and they still have a long way to go to complete this. They missed spring break and the summer season. Now I wonder if they will be open for next year’s spring break. The strange thing is I see people working there all the time. I don’t know what they are doing. It must be a government job! LOL

It is getting to be the holiday season. There will be all sorts of celebrations taking place in and around Destin. The city Christmas parade will be 12/14. On 12/15 on the harbor will be the holiday boat parade. Also on 12/15 we will have The Southern Drawl Band back at Crab Island Cantina from 5-9 pm. Our Crab Island Christmas Party will be Saturday December 21st at KC’s Sandbar & Grill Tapworks bar. Jan Patton will be playing music and everyone is welcome to join us.

Jan Patton

Not sure where we will be or what we will be doing this weekend. The all girls band, Mustang Sally will be playing at KC’s Friday night starting at 8 pm. I have seen them perform in Put in Bay, Ohio and they are really good. We might try to get out there to catch them. I am sure some football will be in my future too somewhere!

Have a great weekend. See ya Monday!